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Remembering Health Informatics Terrell Herzig

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Created: August 13th, 2012

UAB Health System Information Security Officer, UAB HIPAA Security Officer, and UAB Adjunct Professor of Health Informatics Terrell Herzig died Saturday, July 7, 2012, following a traffic accident. He was 48. Herzig was a national expert on healthcare privacy and information security, mobile device security, and disaster recovery who often consulted on informatics projects with external groups. During his tenure at UAB, Herzig served as director of Information Technology for the Civitan International Research Center and Director of Informatics for the Pittman General Clinical Research Center.

In a blog called The Security Scrutinizer, author Howard Anderson remembers Herzig’s intellect, compassion, and contribution to the April 27th storm recovery.

“After tornadoes hit Alabama, Terrell prepared a webinar offering business continuity insights based on his experiences. That was typical of Terrell; he was always interested in helping to educate others on best practices.

“But Terrell was far more than an information security expert. He was a southern gentleman who made those who met him feel comfortable. Whether we were chatting on the phone or sharing a meal at a conference, Terrell always made me feel better. A humble man, he had a positive attitude, a great sense of humor and an uncanny ability to help others, including me, do their jobs better.”

Herzig taught graduate courses in the UAB School of Health Professions in Information Engineering, Programming, Computer Networks, and Information Security. In addition, Terrell taught every graduating class from the MSHI program. Students remember him as a compassionate and extremely knowledgeable team player. One student remembers:

“Terrell always had a positive energy about him. I had the privilege of knowing him as a teacher in addition to working with him for a few semesters throughout my graduate program. He was very dedicated in his many roles throughout UAB and I often wondered how he still had the energy to teach evening courses to us grad students. He has taught me that the world of Informatics goes above and beyond a computer and that you have to be passionate about what you do and the people around you. He lived that passion and I still consider him one of the best teachers I’ve had.”

Herzig received his informatics training at UAB, completing his Master of Science in Health Informatics and Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. He is survived by his wife Cynthia Reamsma Herzig, children Cassandra Herzig, Christopher Herzig, and Jenna Herzig, and his parents Roger and Aleta Herzig.